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▲ dp-hackernews 6 days ago

Isn't that what multicast is for?

▲wmf 6 days ago | parent | next [-]

Multicast doesn't work on the Internet.

▲rapnie 5 days ago | parent | next [-]

You might have a look at Librecast [0] which is a R&D project funded by Horizons Europe NGI0 programme via NLnet, aiming to the bring multicast to the current unicast internet and smoothen the transition of projects that adopt it. A great intro to multicast and Librecast is given in Brett Sheffield's 2020 LinuxConfAU talk "Privacy and Decentralization with Multicast" that is available on Peertube [1].

> To enable multicast on the unicast Internet we start by building an encrypted overlay network using point-to-point links between participating nodes. Once established, our overlay network can run whatever protocols we require, unimpeded by routers and middleboxes and which is resistant to interception, interference and netblocks.

[0] https://www.librecast.net/librecast-strategy-2025.html

[1] https://spectra.video/w/9cBGzMceGAjVfw4eFV78D2

▲jeroenhd 5 days ago | parent [-]

The protocol seems like an excellent idea, but #3365a3 on black for the website text is one of the worst designs for open-source project websites I've seen yet.

Off-topic but I'm impressed with how many potentially revolutionary projects get funding from NLNet.

▲Lammy 6 days ago | parent | prev [-]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mbone

▲wmf 6 days ago | parent [-]

Mbone was fake multicast (today you'd be better off using a CDN) and I don't know if it's still operating.

▲protocolture 5 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I had a teacher in uni who was fairly convinced that some kind of intelligent multicast was the solution here.

But after working in ISP for a while I realised that the issue is getting ISP's to use cool protocols is just impossible and everything must be built at higher levels.

▲memet_rush 6 days ago | parent | prev [-]

i guess but im thinking like multicast with the people sharing like bittorrent, just live. so you'd need to factor in people leaving and people leeching

▲dp-hackernews 6 days ago | parent [-]

So a multicast like derivative that is peer aware and can redistribute locally any available parts - which would require some sort of caching, which would probably break copyright etc... So perhaps that's the reason why nothing exists. \o/